Fire-escape



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW W. OARLSON, OF BUTTE, MONTANA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.-

SBECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,757, dated January30, 1894.

Application filed August 17, 1893- serial No. 483,386. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW W. CARLSON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Butte city, in the county of Silver Bow and State ofMontana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Es.

capes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to fire-escapes, and has for its object toprovide simple and effective means for permitting occupants of abuilding to escape with safety from any height and be conducted withoutinjury to the ground.

With this and other objects in View, the invention consists of theconstruction and arrangement of the several'parts, which will be morefully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fire-escape,shown applied and in position for use. Fig. 2 is a similar view of thefire-escape detached and shown on a larger scale, the conveying basketsbeing disconnected in this figure.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in both the figures.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate two plateswhich are placed respectively inside and outside of the supporting wall,and banded together with bolts 3 which are threaded and fastened withnuts. The upper part of the operating mechanism embodies a plate 4,through which the said bolts 3 extend, and hold the mechanism anysuitable distance from the wall as may be found desirable. At the lowercorners of the plate 4, small rollers or fiat faced pulleys 5 aresecured, and suspended from the said plate 4 is a rocking hanger 6,which is pivotally mounted and held by depending plates 7 and 8,rigidlyattached to the opposite sides of the said .plate a. On the uppercorners of the hanger 6 are pulleys 9, similar to the pulleys 5, andadjacent thereto, on opposite sides of the said hanger, and projectingabove the same are guards 10, which are of such length as to extendacross the space between the hanger 6 and the plate 4 at all times. Tothe lower corners of the hanger 6 and extending through the guards areguide-ropes or cords 11, which may extend downwardly to the ground, andoperate to properly adjust the hanger and guide the descent of theperson escaping or regulate the degree of rapidity with which thedescent is made. These ropes or cords 11 can also be controlled by theperson descending if desired. Between.

the plate 4 and the hanger 6 and traveling through the guards is a mainrope or cable 12 having baskets 13 on the opposite ends thereof, thesaid main rope being flat and engaging the pulleys at the corners of theplate 4 and hanger 6, and the speed of descent is regulated by adjustingthe hanger so as to bring the rollers at one end with varying degrees oftension against the said main rope. In operation one basket descendswith the person escaping, while the other ascends, and when not inoperation the rope and the bas ket can be taken in the nearest room towhere the machine is located.

The machine is made entirely of metal, and is to be located under theouter portion of the window-sill, and in such position that the basketcan be entered from both sides.

It will be also understood that the mechanism herein set forth can bereadily operated to load and unload vessels.

It is obviously apparent that many minor changes in the construction andarrange-- ment of the several parts can be made and substituted'forthose shown and described without in the least departing from the nature or spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, wha is claimed as new is- In afire-escape, the combination of a plate, supported in connection'with awall and having pulleys at the lower corners thereof, a hanger pivotallymounted below and supported by the said plate, and having pulleys at theupper corners thereof, guards on opposite sides of the said hanger, aflat rope running between the plate, and hanger, and through the saidguards and having baskets on the opposite ends thereof, and ropes orcords attached to the lower corners of the said hanger, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ANDREW W. CARLSON.

Witnesses GOTRIK KRUSE, OSCAR Kaosn.

IOO

